“Jewelry Is the Perfect Way to Celebrate”... and Other Training Lessons

“Jewelry is the perfect way to celebrate.”

That’s what my rising first grader told me the other day.

 Wait, what?

A 6-year-old just hit me with “jewelry is the perfect way to celebrate.” I had to ask, where in the world did he hear that?

Turns out, because we’re not paying for ad-free streaming, he’s been served the same Long Jewelers commercial a billion times (his words). And it worked. That tagline is now firmly planted in his brain. He repeats it randomly.

It got me thinking. If a 30-second cartoon commercial can get stuck in a kid’s brain, your team can definitely turn the right taproom tasks into habits.

Here are five ways to make it happen:

Tip 1: Don’t overwhelm your team with too many requests.

Working in a taproom comes with a long list of small tasks. Asking your team to focus on ten things at once can be overwhelming. Instead, pick one habit to focus on each week. Explain exactly what you want them to work on, share the reason behind it (especially if you have data), and get them excited to improve, or to keep doing something they’re already doing well.

Tip 2: Catch them doing something right

When your team is doing the right things in the taproom, good results usually follow. Helping a first-time guest start with a flight and find a drink they love often leads to more spending and bigger tips. But don’t just assume they know they’re doing a good job. Tell them. A quick “thank you” goes a long way. Even better, consider a spontaneous bonus. “Hey Alison, you’ve been crushing it with guest greetings lately. Here’s a [fill in the blank gift] to say thanks.”

Tip 3: Pick one focus at a time.

Habits take time to stick. Give your team at least a week to work on a new behavior and make it feel natural. Once it becomes part of the routine, like asking every guest if they want to-go beer at checkout, then you can move on to the next focus. You won’t see much progress if you treat habit building as a one-time effort. Keep it going by regularly introducing new areas to train and improve.

Tip 4: Keep it visible.

Your team has a lot on their plate. Even with the best intentions, it’s easy for new habits to be forgotten. Use simple reminders to keep the goal top of mind. That could be a sticky note on the register, a quick message in your group chat, or something written on the whiteboard in the employee area. When your team sees it often, they’re more likely to follow through.

Tip 5: Lead by example.

If you want your team to form better habits, show them what “good” looks like. Jump behind the bar. Greet guests with energy. Ask for to-go beer orders. Your actions set the tone, far more than a checklist ever could.

If a quick commercial can convince a 6-year-old that jewelry is the key to celebration, imagine what a little consistency and encouragement can do for your taproom team. Building habits doesn’t have to be complicated. Focus on one thing at a time, recognize the wins, keep the goal visible, and lead from the front. Over time, the small stuff adds up and starts to feel second nature for everyone.